Fate Decides
by Shannon and Raine
Summary: Hermione and Draco look back on their relationship, retelling the story of how they met, how they rivaled each other, and how they fell for each other. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW...
1. Fate Decides: Prologue

A/N: It is some years after Hermione and Draco's graduation from Hogwarts. Enjoy, and tell Shannon and Raine what you think. Reviews make their day. Prologue 

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**_**Hermione Granger**_**

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I gazed contemplatively at my reflection in the mirror. My bridal gown hung simply and elegantly. Julia, the girl I had served as a governess for the past 3 years, handed me the veil that I would be wearing to my wedding.

"Miss Mione?" she asked me.

"Yes, 'Lia?"

"Tell me again...how you two met."

"You've heard it so many times before, though. Why would you want to hear it again?"

"I like it so much. Start at your 7th year, when it all began."

"Very well."

~*~*~*~**__**

**_**Draco Malfoy**_**

"Draco? Can I ask something?" my younger sister, Estelle, who was only sixteen, asked. I told her to get out of my room, though she wouldn't stop. Ah, she's only sixteen - I shouldn't be so hard on her.

"Yes, Estelle?" _Hmmm. What did she want this time? _

"Can you..." she seemed shy to say what she wanted to. "Come on," I urged. "Tell me. It's okay."

"Well, can you tell me again?" 

"What do you mean?"

"You know -- how you came to know each other."

"I knew her since first year at Hogwarts. Well, haven't I told you that already?"

"Yes, but this time I want to hear _everything, all the details and the like. I mean -- please, dear brother?" she asked me with puppy dog eyes which were adorable, in my opinion. _

"Of course. It's been so many years now, yet I still remember..." I sighed.

"...It was a simple bet! A bet...A bet just for the fun of humiliating her in the Graduation Ball. That's where it all started. Where the unexpected happened. Where...I fell in love with _her."_

"She was so different from the other girls I met. She was surprisingly very smart for her age, very strong in character...and a muggle. _"Muggles are scum in the wizarding world, Draco, in order to be a great wizard you must stay away from them," _my father Lucius used to say._ "You are a Malfoy -- and you must never be involved with muggles - or rather, mudbloods - no matter what the cost." I now knew that it really is true that words cut rather deeply...for at that moment I just so wanted to curse Father with my wand. I wanted to curse myself too for feeling this way; for falling for...__Hermione Granger. It sounded funny, Draco and Hermione, but I loved her so much I didn't care what people would think."_

Estelle listened intently. I looked at her. "You really want to know the whole story, Estelle?" I asked her. 

"Of course, Draco. That's what I came here for!"

"I defied Father's instructions and risked my life just to love her -- I always had this unspoken attraction to her burning inside of me. And little did I know she was attracted to me in her own little way too. At first we wouldn't even dare admit it to ourselves, but once that chance came -- once I took that bet -- things took a strange turn. I started to long for her more than I knew I would. I eventually admitted my feelings for her, and she did the same. For the first time in my whole life, I had a serious girlfriend."

"That was so adorable, how you came to like her. I wish that happens to a silly young sixteener like me," Estelle said, smiling. "That isn't even half the problem, Estella," I told her.

"Well, no secrets aren't revealed, right? So time came when she found out about the bet -- and as a result I was scarred deeply. She was hurt, but I was hurt even more -- it all happened so fast, in one vicious cycle. Time passed and the scars healed. We were stronger than ever, but soon we had to go our own separate ways -- she had to go away with her family, and I, naturally, had to go away with mine."

"Awww, Draco. Smile!" she urged her brother, who looked sad from all the reminiscing.

"It's been years now since we graduated from Hogwarts and from "each other", as she herself called it. She had her own life, and I had mine. It wasn't all a happy ending, but what she told me kept me from blinding myself with the pain: _"Draco, don't cry because it's over -- smile, for at least it happened. I love you. Remember that."_

          "I had put those words into my heart forever for I knew we'd meet again. She said it'd be impossible -- I would so much beg to disagree. In my heart I just knew we'd see each other again. How? I just knew." Estelle smiled, knowing instantly what I, her brother was thinking.


	2. Fate Decides: Chapter One

**_A/N: Enjoy the first installment of Shannon and Raine's fanfiction, Fate Decides. Please tell us what you think._**

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"Chapter 1~Close Encounters" 

Pansy had finally gotten over her futile crush on me, the one that she'd had since 4th year. Now we were close friends, ones who talked to each other. She wasn't as stupid as she appeared in the classrooms._ Father was right, she was everything that the perfect death eater's wife embodied; she hated mudbloods, and was extremely proud of her heritage, being a pureblood that is, and she adored the Dark Lord._ I hated it when my father was right._ He always had managed to be when I was younger, but as I grew, I began to notice that about certain things, he was wrong. Like about Hogwarts._ That place was more home to me than my own, and he perceived it as the very pit of hell. _How wrong he was, and how happy I was not to be sent to Durmstrang.__ Like I would ever want to go to a place as cold as that. I don't mean cold, as in cold outside. I mean cold as in personality. Sure, Krum may have warmed_ up to Granger, but when I met the boy, he was _downright rude__. To me, of all people. Tsk, tsk__. Deplorable manners._

I continued my train of thoughts as I wound my way up to the transfiguration classroom. _Perfect. I would have plenty of time to fall asleep, considering there wasn't a thing that McGonagall could teach that I didn't already know. Transfiguration and potions, my two best classes. Unfortunately, they were also her best classes. By Merlin, why was she so smart?_

At that very moment, the person I was bitching about (mentally, of course) crashed into me. I grasped her arms as a reflex to steady the both of us, but upon seeing who it was, we both flung ourselves away.

"God, that it had to be _you, Malfoy! You should have just let me fall!"_

"On the floor is the only place for _your kind, anyway."_

"What was that?" her loyal two protectors came to her rescue.

"Shut it, Potter. Weasley." I sneered at them, and swept into the classroom, the very image of my detested father. _At least he left me with something, I thought bitterly._

"Are you okay, Hermione?" asked Ron.

"I'm fine, really you guys. I _can take care of myself __occasionally, you know."_

"Yeah, but still," Harry said, "it's the male's job to take care of the females."

"Chauvinist," muttered Hermione under her breath. She swept into the classroom before the two of them, head held high.

"What'd she say?" asked Ron, scratching his head.

"I think it has something to do with us wanting to protect her," Harry replied, "but I'm not sure. Let's go to class."

"Ugh, McGonagall's class. Can't we skip?"

"You most certainly will not, Mr. Weasley," came a disapproving voice from behind. Harry and Ron turned, dreading who it was - Professor McGonagall. "As a matter of fact, you two can help me with the lesson today."

Harry and Ron groaned simultaneously. "This ought to be _SO MUCH_ fun!"they muttered in chorus.

"Let's go, gentlemen." Harry and Ron slouched into the classroom, taking the seats reserved for the day's helpers. Normally it was Hermione that was asked to be the helper, or myself, as we were the best students in the class.

_This ought to be fun,_ I thought, _watching the two of them make fools of themselves._

_Poor Harry and Ron,_ thought Hermione, _I know just how much they hate this class, probably because they, quite frankly, suck at it. Well, it ought to be worth a laugh. I mean, if you can't laugh at your best friends, who can you laugh at?_

**_end of "CHAPTER ONE - CLOSE ENCOUNTERS"_**


	3. Fate Decides: Chapter Two

**_A/N: Well, here is the second installment of Fate Decides! Enjoy, everyone. Don't forget to leave a review before you leave. We're open to anything and everything, but please do not flame. As we all know, it is rude, and constructive criticism is much more appreciated because we will even thank you for that._**

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"Chapter 2~A Life-Altering Proposal" 

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The early morning cold stung my skin as I walked to Potions class, carrying my heavy books in my hands. I had forgotten my book bags again, how forgetful of me. I turned round the corner and into the room, and I saw Hermione sitting there in an empty table, and as usual, reading her books. I was quite early, and nobody except Hermione and I were there. _What a coincidence._

I plopped my books down and sat beside her, chuckling cockily for no reason. My cocky demeanor surfaced even more as I opened my mouth to ridicule her. "Don't even try, Malfoy," she said without batting an eyelash, as she turned a page in her book.

"What?" I asked, acting as if nothing happened. "I was just trying to say something that would get _your attention. And I guess I can't because you already beat me to it." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes. She didn't respond, but continued on reading as if she didn't hear a word from me. "Goodness, mudblood, can't take a simple..." My voice trailed off, and I turned to face the doorway. The great Harry Potter and his wonderful sidekick were coming. Great. They sat down in front of Hermione, as they always did._

I stood up and sat behind Hermione. Pansy came,  and sat down beside me as well. "Hello, Draco," she greeted me with a wide smile, which, for some reason, made me feel uneasy. "Snape's unusually late today," she said, laying her bags down by her feet.

"Well," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Whatever he is, he better come in, or I'm getting out. It's not very entertaining just sitting down and doing nothing but stare at the mudblood's hair all day." Pansy smirked casually. "Yes, especially if it's dry and brittle. She obviously does _not_ know her hair care," she said. I didn't smile back, which was surprising. _Why didn't I? Even I didn't know._

"I heard that, Pansy," Hermione snapped, not even bothering to look at us. Finally, Snape came in, panting slightly. "Well, we're going to try to come up with a new potion today," he said. "I apologize for being late. There was a matter I had to discuss with the other teachers regarding the upcoming Graduation Ball." The words _Graduation Ball_ lit the other students' eyes up upon hearing them. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil snickered and asked each other who their dates were. Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas were coming up with ways to get girls to come with them. Soon the room was filled with deafening noise.

"I will have no more of this commotion!" Snape shouted, enraged.  Hermione raised her hand. "Professor, shouldn't we be starting on truth po--" 

"Anymore words, Granger and I will make sure Gryffindor doesn't get the House Cup. Thirty points off Gryffindor." Snape interrupted, making Hermione blush in embarrassment. I watched her get humiliated, and Pansy laughed heartily. "Enough on those Graduation Ball discussions; we'll start now on our groupings."

"Potter, Weasley - you two little gits go to that table and research on common potion ingredients and their uses, functions, locations, and what potions they're used for," he snapped, poting to a rickety table in the back of the room. Harry and Ron scuttled over there, muttering curses to themselves.

"Parkinson, Longbottom - you two go over there. Look for all the rare potions and list down their uses. Finnigan, Thomas - over there, on _that_ table. Write down the fifteen hardest potions to make and tell me their ingredients." He continued on picking pairs at random and giving them their assignments until I was the only one left without a partner. "Everybody - your research about everything is DUE TODAY - make it quick!"

"Professor," I said, raising my hand. "I don't have a partner to work with." 

"Well, let's see-" He said as he scanned his class list. "Granger!" he shouted. _Oh no. She was going to be my partner! She ran over to us carrying her quill in one hand and a Potions book in the other. "You'll be paired with Draco. No complaints. Any complaint will score you fifty points from your beloved house - fifty points _each._" Hermione remained silent, and just rolled her eyes._

"Now go on and pick a topic to research about, Draco," Snape said. "I'll leave you two alone - I expect there won't be any problems?" He said. "No, sir," I said.

I stood there dumfounded, and at a loss for words. This was very much unexpected - and she just stood there with the same calm expression on her face, as if she didn't care that I was her partner. "Let's just get it over and done with, Malfoy," she urged, and put her books down on the table. "Well?" she asked. "Potions isn't all day. We have little time."

"Wait a minute, mudblood," I said. "Why are you acting like you don't care about what's going on? Just earlier you didn't even defend yourself like you used to. What's your problem?" I snapped. "Nothing, Malfoy. It's called _mood swings, if you didn't know." Hermione retorted a-matter-of-factly. "Well, I'm going to begin researching. I don't know about you, but I'm getting to work."_

"Fine, I'll work, if that's what you want, Queen of _Mood Swings_." I grabbed a quill from my breast pocket and got my books. Time passed and all the researching was over, and we had to pass our findings to Snape. "Thanks for talking to me, I appreciate it so much," I said sarcastically to Granger as we went out the room. She rolled her eyes and made a face at me. "I hate you, Malfoy. Damn you," she said frankly. She went over to Potty and the Weasel with a smile, and they walked off towards the dormitories.

Pansy came to me soon after, placing her arm over my shoulder. "I saw how sweet you two were," she teased. "_If that's what you want, Queen of Mood Swings,"_ she mocked me in a deep man-like voice, annoying me in the process. "Ha! If I know, you like her!" she laughed triumphantly. 

"You think so? Well, for your information, Pansy, I do not - I never did, never will. Shut up," I said, annoyed.

"Well...I've got a proposal to make." She said slyly. "It's actually a bet. Want to do it?" 

"Fine," I said. "What is it?"

"Find a way to make her your date to the Graduation Ball. Make her fall for you real hard. Easy as that. I'm sure you can pull it off."

"What will I gain in doing that?"

"Well, you get to humiliate her later on, when she finds out she was bet on. Duh, Draco. It's all common sense. And the cool part is there's no money involved. Just sheer pleasure in seeing her devastated."

"Deal," I said, laughing. "It's going to be sweet watching how she reacts when I'd tell her the truth."

"Well, that's done. See you later, then, Draco, you lover boy." She walked off laughing. I shook my head. _She said it was going to be easy. Knowing Granger, I don't think so._

**_end of CHAPTER TWO - "A Life-Altering Proposal"_**


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